Vibration dampener



y 1 1944 H. A. STORCH 2,35

VIBRATION DAMPENER I Filed Feb. 8, 1943 VIII IN V EN TOR. bf w 4. 57am firroemsrs Fatented July 18, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT. FFlCE.

Harold A.Storch, Fairvlew Village, Ohio, assignor to Harris Products Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation 0! Ohio Application February 8, 194$,Serial No. 475,065 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-358) This invention relates to vibration dampeners for mounting instruments and various other uses and aims to provide an improved device 01' this kind which, although rugged and durable in form, is nevertheless very efllcient in use.

Another object of the invention isto provide an improved vibration dampener which is so designedthat the parts can be produced very.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken through an assembly using two of my improved vibration dampeners, and

Fig/5 is a perspective view showing the resilient intermediate or connecting member in detached relation.

Proceeding with a more detailed description of my vibration dampener, I show this device in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 as comprising outer and inner members Ill and II adapted to be connected respectively with a support and an instrumentor the like to be supported, and an intermediate or connecting member I2 forming a flexible connection between the members I0 and II.

The intermediate member I2 is in the form-of a resilient ring which forms the sole connection between the outer and inner members I0 and II and permitsboth a relative axial movement and a substantially universal relative rocking or tilting movement between these members. The resilient nature of the intermediate member I2 enables the same to serve as a shock absorbing and vibration dampening medium. The member i2 is referably molded or otherwise formed of soft rubber, which may be either a, natural or synthetic rubber, or may be formed of any other suitable material having rubber-like characteristics.

As shown in the drawing the intermediate member I 2 is constructed with relatively thickened annular rim portions I3 and I4 extending around its outer and inner peripheries and is also provided with a web portion I5 forming a continuous annular integral connection between the outer and inner peripheral rim portions I3 and I4. Adjacent the junction of the rim portions I3 and I4 with the web portion I6 I pro vide the latter with transversely curved annular grooves I31; and I la.

In accordance with an important feature of the invention to be further described hereinafter, I provide the intermediate member I2 with axial projections or bumper elements I8 and I1. These bumper elements comprise resilient tooth-like projections which are formed integral with the thickened outer peripheral rim portion I3. As best shown in Fig. 5 these bumper elements are arranged in two groups, comprising respectively the elements I6;and II, with the elements I6 disposed in staggered relation to the element I1.

The outermember I0 comprises a pair of complemental parts Illa and Ilib. which may be in the form of sheet metal stampings. Theparts Illa and lllbeach have a flangeor rim portion IIlc of substantially quadrangular shape and also have an annularly grooved portion or section Ind. When the parts I Do and IDb are assembled in face-to-face complemental relation, as shown in Figs.2 and 3, the grooved portions I0d thereof form a hollow annular ring portion in which the thickened outer rim portion I3 of the intermediate member I2 is gripped or confined. The

parts Illa and III!) canbe held in the assembled complemental relation shown in the drawing by welding, riveting, or otherwise connecting together the flange portions I00 of these parts. The parts I and ifib are preferably also provided aroun their inner edges wtih integral annular beads I8 which engage in the annular grooves I3a' of the intermediate member I2. These annular beads may be of rounded form to iit snugly in thegrooves I3a so as to decrease the likelihood of the intermediate member becoming out or torn at this point. The annular beads I8 are of a length such that when the parts Ilia and lb are connected together in face-to-face relation an annular slot or opening I 9' is left to accommodate the web portion I5 of the member I2. 7

The inner member I I comprises a pair of complemental cupped or grooved parts 20a and 26b, and a tube or sleeve 2| on which such parts are mounted and which extends through the central opening 2Iaof the member H2. The parts 20a and 20!) maybe formed as sheet metal stampings having axially extending flange or sleeve portions 200 by which they are mounted on the tube 2i. The flange portions 200 may have a press fit on the tube 2| or may be connected therewith by welding, brazing or the like. When the parts 20a and 20b are assembled as shown in the drawing they cooperate with the tube 2| to form a hollow annular ring portion in which the thickened inner rim portion ll of the intermediate member I2 is gripped or confined. The parts 200 and 20b are provided around their outer edge with rounded beads 22 similar to the above mentioned beads l8 and which engage in the annular grooves Ila. of the intermediate member. The beads 22 are of a length such that an annular slot or opening 28 is left therebetween to accommodate the web portion i of the intermediate member i2.

In the completed vibration dampener the outer member Ill is substantially concentric with the inner member II and surrounds the latter with an annular space therebetween which is spanned by the web portion ii of the intermediate member I2. Most of the flexing to which the intermediate member I2 is subjected by shocks, vibrations or other relative movements between the outer and inner members Hi and II occurs in the web portion l5. In forming the parts Ilia and lflb of the outer member In a plurality of annularly spaced slots 25 are provided in the grooved portions Hid of a size, shape and number to correspond with the bumper projections i6 and ll of the intermediate member [2. In the completed device the bumper projections l6 and I1 extend through the slots 25 and, in addition to serving as bumper elements, they assist in locking the thickened rim portion IS in the outer member Ill and also prevent relative creeping or shifting of such rim portion in the outer member.

When my vibration dampener is used for mounting an instrument or the like one of the paired members of the device, such as the outer member In, is connectedwith the bulkhead or other support by means of screws or rivets extending through the openings 26 of this member, and the instrument to be supported is connected with the other member, that is, with the inner member I I by means of a bolt or the like extending through the tube 2!. During the use of the device the axially extending projections i6 and I! iorm bumper elements which will be engaged by adjacent structure and will limit and cushion excessive relative axial movements as well as excessive relative tilting or angular movements.

My improved vibration dampener can be used either singly or in multiple for mounting purposes. When a multipl arrangement is used a more flexible mounting is obtained which is capable of increased relative axial and tilting movements, In Fig. 4 of the drawing I show such a multiple use of my vibration dampener in which two individual dampeners 2.1 and 28, of the above described construction, are connected by a bolt 29 extending through the axially aligned tubes 30 and Si of these devices. In such a multiple arrangement one of the dampeners, for example the dampener 21, has its outer member 21a connected with an available support 32 andthe instrument panel or the like 33 to be supported is connected with the outer member 28a of the other dampener. Stop plates 34, 35 and 36 are also provided on the clamping bolt 28 to lie above, between, and below the individual dampeners. These stop plates may be in the form of substantially rigid disks of a size to extend in overlapping relation to the outer members 21a and 28a so that they will be engaged by the axially projecting bumper elements 21?) and 28b upon the occurrence of excessive relative axial or relative tilting movements.

It will be understood of course that when the dampeners are used singly in forming a flexible mounting a pair of stop plates, such as the plates 34 and 35, are usually clamped in engagement with the ends of the tube 2|.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily understood that I have provided an improved vibration dampener which, although of simple and economical construction,-is very strong and durable and provides an efllcient and satisfactory means for mounting instruments on airplanes, and for various other purposes, where it is desirable that the mounting means be capable of absorbing shocks and vibrations which might be damaging to the instrument or other body being supported. It will also be seen that in my improved vibration damper excessive relative axial movements, and excessive relative tilting or angular movements in all directions, will be limited and cushioned by the cooperating stop and bumper elements provided in the device.

While I have illustrated and described my improved-vibration dampener in considerable detail, it will be understood of course that I do not wish to be correspondingly limited but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims and do not constitute a departure from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a resilient ring having thickened rim portions around its inner and outer peripheries, and a pair of members engaging said thickened rim portions so as to be flexibly connected by said resilient ring, the thickened outer rim portion of said ring having annularly spaced projections extending axially of the ring in opposite directions and the rim-engaging portions of said outer member having corresponding annularly spaced openings through which said projections extend.

2. A device of the character described, com

prising a resilient ring having thickened rim portions around its inner and outer peripheries, and a pair of members having confining engagement with said thickened rim portions and being flexibly connected by said resilient ring, the thickenedouter rim portion of said ring having groups of annularly spaced projections extending axially of the ring in opposite directions with the projections of one group staggered relative to the projections of the other group and the rim-engaging portions of said outer member having corresponding groups of staggered openings through which said projections extend.

3. A device of the character described, com,- prising a resilient ring having thickened rim portions around its inner and outer peripheries, a pair of inner and outer substantially concentric members having confining engagement with said thickened rim portions and being flexibly connected by said resilient ring, and stop means connected with said inner member and extending engageable with said stop means.

HAROLD A. STORCH. 

